"I will stay still until that Phantom Mask bastard appears."
"But the civilians…."
"Shut up!"
One of The Hunt members pointed at their group. Soo Jaehee glared at him. A fierce aura flickered in his eyes. It was like a mere puppy lunging at a tiger, and he hated having to just watch it happen.
"Then, Yoon Seo hyung. If you protect the civilians with your shield skill, I'll take care of the
"Shh."
The one who stopped him was Kwon Jihan. A monster capable of turning even a tiger into a mere pup was telling him to stay put, so Soo Jaehee shut his mouth but pouted instead.
As their group fell silent, The Hunt member lost interest in them.
"If he won't come out, I'll just have to drag him out myself."
The Hunt's leader murmured ominously. The blade of his sword pressed into the host's neck. The host let out a terrified gasp and squeezed his eyes shut. Red blood trickled down his nape.
"You crazy bastard! That person is an unawakened civilian!"
Hong Euiyoon shot up and shouted. The Hunt member kicked him, but instead, The Hunt member himself was the one pushed back.
"Just slit my throat instead. What, are you scared to go after an awakened? You're not just cowardly, you're pathetic!"
Even as he took a hit, Hong Euiyoon shouted back fiercely. He was trying to divert attention to himself by any means necessary. Yoon Seo was a little surprised, he hadn't thought that rude guy was this righteous. Soo Jaehee, standing next to him, was also impressed.
"You're a brave hyung. Haechi would like you."
A 'hyung' title was now attached to Hong Euiyoon.
Maybe his provocation worked, as The Hunt leader stepped forward. He wrapped blue flames around both hands.
"You're really noisy. If you want it so badly, I'll burn your throat first."
Hong Euiyoon didn't close his eyes. His blood-red eyes glared at The Hunt, making those around them let out small gasps.
That was when Kwon Jihan slowly stood up.
['Kwon Jihan' has activated the
[It has no effect on you.]
Kwon Jihan, who had been waiting for Phantom Mask Thief, could no longer ignore the danger to civilians and decided to act. Yoon Seo, who had been prepared to use
Because he was Kwon Jihan.
Hiiik, huiiiik, huek…
Gasps echoed from all around.
Those who recognized the highest-ranking predator in the food chain couldn't even breathe properly, trembling in fear. The Hunt members were no exception. The leader, who had been engulfed in blue flames, dropped to his knees. His skill vanished on its own. In front of the apex predator of the food chain, neither allies nor enemies could use their skills.
"Can't even drag out Seo Chaeyoon, can't even drag out the Phantom Thief… You powerless fools are nothing but noisy."
Kwon Jihan spoke softly as he approached the bandit group. He brushed past Hong Euiyoon, who was kneeling on the ground. Even in this tense moment, Hong Euiyoon, who had been glaring at the enemy with fierce eyes, couldn't lift his head this time. Though he knew Kwon Jihan wasn't an enemy, his entire body trembled.
"Lift your head."
"...!"
The members of The Hunt, who had been lying flat on the ground, trembled as they hesitantly raised their heads. The only ones standing with their heads up in this place were the members of The Hunt and Yoon Seo.
['Kwon Jihan' has activated the
Kwon Jihan reached out his hand toward The Hunt members. A dark energy seeped from his palm and wrapped around them. The terrified members of The Hunt briefly wore expressions of utter shock before dropping to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.
Even Yakov Rumow the leader of The Hunt and an S-rank awakened, was no exception. His S-rank status was meaningless, he collapsed just as easily.
The host clutched his bleeding neck with his palm, gasping for air. Not only that, but even the unawakened attendees in the venue were now struggling to breathe. Kwon Jihan briefly looked up at the Phantom Mask Thief shadow on the ceiling before withdrawing his skill with a dissatisfied expression.
"Haa…."
"Hhhuuugh."
People collectively took in deep breaths. Soo Jaehee barely managed to lift his head, and when his eyes met Yoon Seo's, he looked startled.
"Hyung, how are you keeping your head up?"
"I wasn't. I just lifted it now."
"Don't lie. You didn't even break a sweat, and your expression didn't change at all…."
At that moment, the Phantom Mask Thief shadow that had lingered on the ceiling vanished, and darkness returned to the venue.
Yoon Seo received two notifications: that Phantom Mask Thief had used the skill
"What's this now…."
A startled Soo Jaehee asked Yoon Seo.
"What's going on?"
"What do you mean? Everyone's awakening rank dropped by one level for five minutes. That bastard Phantom Mask Thief, acting cowardly the moment The Hunt was taken down."
S-ranks had become A-ranks, A-ranks had become B-ranks.
Yoon Seo checked Kwon Jihan's profile using
As Kwon Jihan stood there with Yoon Seo's dagger behind his back, looking bored, the Phantom Thief finally appeared.
He was a man wearing a white jeogori and pants, layered with a long black dopo. A grinning Hahoetal mask covered his face. His dopo, Hahoetal, waist sash, and the ornaments hanging from it, all were items.
Because of his distinct attire, he was first called the 'Patriotic Thief,' but later became known as the 'Phantom Mask Thief.' Like The Hunt, he stole items and sold them on the black market, using the profits to help those in need, a righteous thief.
Still, Kwon Jihan, ever the predator at the top of the food chain, leisurely opened his mouth.
"Stealing the dagger of a hero who saved the world… planning to sell it off to some villain?"
"...."
"Or are you planning to keep it for yourself…."
Kwon Jihan spoke in a tone devoid of any sincerity. Phantom Mask Thief remained silent.
Yoon Seo could tell that the Phantom Mask Thief was protected by an S-rank shield. Kwon Jihan must have seen it too.
"I don't like fighting weaklings unless they're villains like these guys from The Hunt. Why don't you give up on the dagger and just leave?"
It was far too arrogant to be considered an act of mercy.
Phantom Mask Thief pulled a long sword from the air. The blade glowed faintly, and the hilt was adorned with golden engravings, an exquisite weapon. As he took a stance, spreading his legs and lowering his body, Kwon Jihan merely looked on with disinterest.
Phantom Mask Thief was the first to attack. Kwon Jihan easily dodged his sword and attempted to kick his wrist, but Hahoetal swiftly withdrew. Immediately, Hahoetal activated another skill. A sharp gust of wind wrapped around Kwon Jihan's body, but he shook it off using
Taking advantage of the brief opening, Phantom Mask Thief swiftly thrust his sword. Kwon Jihan leapt high to evade the attack and landed behind him, delivering a powerful kick to his back.
Kwon Jihan had kept his hands in his pockets the entire time.
"I told you, I don't fight people who are weaker and nicer than me."
Even under the gazes of dozens of onlookers, Kwon Jihan repeated those words. At his feet, the bodies of the weak, either unconscious or dead, lay scattered.
One of the fallen villains, who had been sent flying with a single kick, sprang up like a tumbler toy, adjusted his grip on his sword, and charged again. If Kwon Jihan had really gone all out, the man would have had every bone in his body broken, unable to rise.
'Does he think he's Haechi? To judge good and evil… huh?'
Yoon Seo suddenly had a bad feeling.
Even though he wasn't particularly tuned into Hunter news, he knew about the organization The Hunt. Its leader was an African S-rank Awakened, the man lying unconscious over there. Yakov Rumow had no prior criminal record when he Awakened, but after gaining his immense power, he had become a criminal. His abilities were specialized in stealth and restraint rather than direct combat, so it was natural for him to be subdued by Kwon Jihan, but this felt too easy.
The Hunt was a hunter organization operating on a global scale. They had stormed a place teeming with Awakened beings just to steal Seo Chaeyoon's weapon, could they really have come unprepared?
Inside the dome, a faintly glowing blue dagger, fallen hunters, the one-sided fight between Kwon Jihan and the masked opponent, and the spectators watching them, Yoon Seo took in the scene and activated an item.
[The 'Old Carpet' Item has been used.]
[The item is gone because you've exhausted the number of usage times.]
[Item detected. 'Yakov Rumow's Bound Item, Kill Switch'. Remaining time: 00:00:08]
"What?"
Yoon Seo was so shocked that he blurted it out loud. People around him turned to look. Soo Jaehee called out, "Hyung?"
['Yakov Rumow's Bound Item, Kill Switch'. Remaining time: 00:00:06]
"Oh, shit. Kwon Jihan!"
['Yakov Rumow's Bound Item, Kill Switch'. Remaining time: 00:00:04]
"The Hunt! Bomb!"
Yoon Seo shouted at the top of his lungs.
Kwon Jihan, who had been fighting with a bored expression, had already knocked out the masked opponent the moment Yoon Seo first shouted 'What?'. When Yoon Seo called his name and yelled The Hunt and Bomb, he found the self-destruction item on the unconscious leader, but by then, only two seconds remained.
"Hah…"
Kwon Jihan let out a short sigh. In that fleeting moment, Yoon Seo saw his expression twist.
Without hesitation, Kwon Jihan wrapped his arms around the self-destruction item and curled his body around it.
['Kwon Jihan' has activated the
A golden light enveloped Kwon Jihan's body. His stats, including defense and regeneration, increased dramatically, but that was all. Even if the bomb didn't kill him, the explosion would surely leave him gravely injured. And yet, instead of throwing it away, he held it close. In the briefest moment, without the slightest hesitation.
'Surprising, right? I was shocked at first too, but now I get it. Jihan hyung is kind. If you ignore the fact that he's a fighting maniac, he's actually a good person.'
'People with great power have a duty to protect the world. If you're born strong, you should protect the weak and guide the world toward something better. Isn't that just common sense?'
With one second left, Yoon Seo recalled those words from a few days ago and let out a hollow chuckle.
Haechi's eyes had been right after all. Gaia System had no errors.
Much as he hated to admit it, Kwon Jihan was indeed a good person.
Yoon Seo hated seeing kind and righteous people suffer unjustly. It was something he truly despised.
[The
A transparent, warm light wrapped around Kwon Jihan. In an instant, the light expanded, spreading far and wide.
Yoon Seo's brown eyes shone vividly with blue light.
No good person will suffer an unjust sacrifice in front of me.
Never again.